Are you wondering if you are self-confident enough, or wishing you seemed more assertive in communication with others? Let’s explore the meaning of self-confidence by taking a quiz. Read the list of statements below and check which ones, in your opinion, are signs of self-confidence.
- Admitting when you are wrong.
- Being flexible when change is needed.
- Talking about your accomplishments.
- Describing negative events in positive terms. For example, “We didn’t make our target, but we sure learned a lot.”
- Dressing to please yourself without worrying what others will think.
- Using a strong handshake.
- Using casual language in an effort to avoid sounding too “corporate.” For example, “You guys did a cool thing.”
- Speaking very fast.
- Smiling often.
- Learning new skills.
- Putting yourself down in order to sound humble.
Compare your answers to those on the bottom of this page under “Quiz 1.”
Low Self-Confidence
Part of defining self-confidence is thinking about what low self-confidence is, what it looks and sounds like. Test yourself now. Circle the statements that convey a lack of self-confidence.
1. “I may be wrong, but I think the answer is ten.”
2. “Thank you for the compliment. We’re very proud of our work.”
3. “That was really stupid of me.”
4. “I forgot my business cards. I left them in the car.”
5. (Responding to a compliment) “Oh, I’ve had this dress for ten years.”
6. “I would have gotten into the program, but they don’t like to take people with my background.”
7. “That sounds like a challenge. I’m sure we can figure out how to solve it, though.”
8. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I wonder if I could have a minute of your time.”
Compare your answers to those listed for “Quiz #2.”
Answers to Quiz #1
Items 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 9, and 10 are generally signs of self-confidence. The others could be seen as self-sabotaging behaviors.
Answers to Quiz #2
Items 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 8 communicate low self-confidence. (Of course, there are no 100% right answers, since many of the statements depend on context, tone of voice, cultural interpretation, and other factors.)
Venus had excellent self-confidence – how is yours?
Here is an article with some tips for becoming more self-confident. For a deeper exploration of your self-confidence, how to develop more of it and understand the reasons you might doubt yourself, you may want to speak with a therapist knowledgeable in the psychology of confidence through online therapy or in person at the Montreal Therapy Centre.